The Guest
by TheDarkWraith
Summary: Set during the events of the film version of Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire, a first time visitor to Hogwarts comes looking for new and powerful magic to use on a personal quest but finds a much older magic instead.
1. The First Meeting

**The First Meeting**

Dane had to admit, the library at the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry was as impressive as he'd always imagined it would be. The vaulted ceilings seemed to reach up into the sky and the bookshelves seemed to reach the ceilings in turn.

"I wish I had a camera," Dane said to himself as he entered the place, looking about in awe. Because of his somewhat distracted state, he failed to notice that there was someone directly in his path until he collided with her. Yes, her—for it was a young lady, he saw, as his attention snapped to his immediate surroundings. She wore a uniform of blue, with a matching hat, and dark stockings. Her high-heeled shoes seemed to be hovering an inch or two above the floor where a number of books were now scattered.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that, m'sieur," she said to him in a beautiful, almost musical voice. By her accent, Dane immediately placed her as one of the girls from the French school competing in the tournament being hosted by Hogwarts.

"_No, pardon me, demoiselle,"_ Dane replied in what he hoped was passably good French. "_It was my fault. Please—let me help you."_ He picked up the books that lay at her feet. "_May I carry these for you, demoiselle? They're a bit heavy."_

"You speak French well, m'sieur," she told him and favored him with a smile. For a moment, he nearly dropped the books again. She was even more beautiful when she smiled; her voice was truly enchanting.

"Uh, thank you, demoiselle," Dane replied. "At least reading my dad's French dictionary paid off after all."

"Dictionary?" she said, a puzzled look crossing her face.

"I, um, learned your language by reading a dictionary. I didn't have a phrasebook." Dane smiled; silently he hoped he didn't look like the fool he was apparently making himself to be.

"Remarkable!" the young lady commented. "But you must get a phrasebook. It would make it easier. Oh! Where are my manners? Please, let's sit down before you get tired from carrying those heavy books."

"All right, demoiselle. Thank you." They moved to a couple of vacant chairs at the near end of a long table occupied mainly by Hogwarts students.

"I'm forgetting my manners," Dane said as the sat down. "My name is Dane Peregrino."

"I'm Felicienne de la Croix," his companion replied. "Pleased to meet you, Dane."

"_Enchanté, demoiselle,"_ Dane said. He wondered if he should kiss the back of her hand like he saw in all those movies that he watched but decided against it. There was such a thing as taking friendliness too far.

"_Merci, m'sieur Peregrine," _she said, giving him another smile. Dane couldn't help but be transfixed. Her features weren't pure French, as far as he could tell—long black hair, dark-caramel skin, eyes that were almost Oriental in shape, a fine nose, and her lips...

"You're welcome but please call me Dane. And may I call you Felicienne?" Dane said. "You have such a lovely name".

"All right—Dane. And yes, you may call me Felicienne. And thank you for the compliment."

"So—do you intend to read all these books?" Dane gestured towards the sizable stack that he'd put on the table between them.

"Actually, Dane, some of those books were simply floating when you ran into them," Felicienne said with a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I only intended to read these." She picked three books out of the pile.

"Ah, I guess I'll read these then," he said, taking one of the remaining four. "Hmmm! _Healing Herbs And Poisonous Plants_...just what I was hoping to find here."

"Are you a student here, Dane?" Felicienne asked him as he opened the book in his hands. "You seem a bit young to be a professor."

"You're most kind, Felicienne, but no—I am a guest here, just as you are."

"Really? Where are you from?"

"I come from Southeast Asia—the Philippines, to be exact," Dane told her. "I've been hoping to come to Hogwarts whenever I get the chance to visit England. And at last, I have."

"Ah...the Philippines!" Felicienne cried. She lowered her voice at a glance from the students at the other end of the table. "My mother told me that she and my father would visit your country whenever they had the chance. During their courtship."

"Let me guess—your mother is Vietnamese, perhaps?" Dane asked.

"Yes, she is. My father was a doctor with the French Red Cross. They came to France after their wedding and lived with my father's parents on their farm. That's where I was born."

"No wonder you're so beautiful," Dane said before he could stop himself. Felicienne fell silent, eyes downcast. A noticeable blush crept across her face.

"I, um, meant that, well..." Dane tried to figure a way out of his predicament but Felicienne gracefully solved the problem.

"Thank you for the compliment, Dane," she said. "My grandparents tell me that I was blessed with the features of both my mother and father. You do them an honor by your words."

"Well...you're welcome," Dane said, much relieved. For the next hour or so, the two were silent as they read through the books before them. Occasionally, however, their eyes would wander towards each other. Dane did so more frequently but by then, Felicienne's only response was a partially hidden smile, especially when he would catch her sneaking glances at him as well. When he had finished his book, he stood up and stretched a bit.

"Well, I must say, that was an interesting book. All those notes will come in handy," he remarked.

"These students are certainly fortunate to have such excellent reference material here," Felicienne agreed.

"Um, are you hungry?" Dane said. "Would you care to join me at the refectory or wherever it is that there's anything to eat here?"

"I'd love to, Dane," Felicienne replied, "unfortunately, I must meet my friends in a few minutes. Our headmistress would like to speak with us about the tournament, I believe."

"Some other time, perhaps. It was a pleasure to spend time with you, Felicienne." This time, Dane didn't hesitate. He took his companion's hand and kissed it. Felicienne blushed once more but she was smiling too. Dane took that as a sign that he hadn't done anything too forward.

"Thank you for your company as well, Dane," she said to him.

"How about...I accompany you to wherever you're supposed to meet your friends?" Dane offered.

"I don't see why not," Felicienne said. To his surprise, she took his arm and walked closely beside him as they left the library. Not a few students and professors turned their heads as they descended the stairs on their way to the courtyard. Once there, Dane saw several other blue-clad young ladies talking among themselves.

"That would be them, I suppose?" he asked. Felicienne nodded as she waved at her friends.

"I must go, Dane. Thank you for again for your company in the library," she said to him before leaving his side.

"It was my pleasure," he told her. To his surprise, she kissed him on the cheek. Then she went to her friends.

Dane was left standing in the courtyard with his hand on his cheek where she'd kissed him. He watched as they went inside, no doubt to where their quarters were. Part of him felt like yelling up at the sky. With a great degree of control, he commanded his feet to move and take him to where the refectory or the kitchens might be. He was sure that he wouldn't eat a thing but he sure needed something to drink. His throat felt dry for some reason. On his way back inside, he looked back again, hoping to see Felicienne but she was gone. Oh, well—perhaps he would see her later in the day.

"Ah, Mr. Peregrino, there you are."

Dane turned and saw Professor Dumbledore. The Headmaster of Hogwarts was accompanied by another professor, a rather severe-looking man in black. It was the school's Potions Master, Professor Snape.

"Hello, Headmaster Dumbledore," Dane said. "And Professor Snape. Good morning to you both." He bowed slightly. Headmaster Dumbledore had been the one who had invited him to Hogwarts; fortunately, the venerable old wizard knew many of his former teachers. Apparently, they'd all met each other at some point in their lives. He wasn't surprised; Dumbledore was probably as old, if not older than some of his teachers.

"Master, if you'll not be needing me for the moment, I must return to my chamber," Professor Snape said to the Headmaster.

"Oh, yes, Severus," Dumbledore told him. "We can continue our conversation later."

"Professor Snape, one moment please," Dane said.

"What is it, Mr. Peregrino?" Professor Snape wanted to know.

"I would just like to thank you for the information you gave me this morning," Dane said, holding out his hand. "I will certainly make use of it."

Professor Snape took his hand and shook it perfunctorily. "Anyone with the inclination can learn potions, Mr. Peregrino," he said. "And I must admit that you're more attentive than most of my students."

"Thank you, sir." The Potions Master nodded briefly in acknowledgment and then left.

"Come—walk with me," Dumbledore said. "I see that you're making the most of your time here, young man."

"Yes, sir," Dane replied. "This is the first time I've been here and I'm not sure if I'll be able to come back so I would like to learn as much as can while I'm here."

"I see..." Dumbledore fell silent for a few moments, except for when he greeted a student or a professor who passed them.

"Your quest is personal, as your teacher's letter stated," Dumbledore said to him softly, as if weghing his words carefully. "Would you care to at least give me a hint as to what it may be?"

Now it was Dane's turn to fall silent. Dumbledore didn't press him; instead, he waited for the young man to speak up.

"If I can be vague about it, sir," Dane began," I would have to say that I'm...looking for someone. Someone who...took a part of me away."

"Ah, is that right?" Dumbledore nodded. "And this..._someone_ that you're looking for requires the magic that you hope to learn here at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, sir," Dane replied. "Perhaps I might not learn all the magic that you teach here but what I learn will be enough, I think."

"Your quest is a long way from its ending. You've a long way to go, I think."

"Yes, sir."

Dumbledore stopped and looked Dane in the eye. "Mr. Peregrino," he said, "I can't presume to tell you to end your quest; that is your choice entirely. I will tell you this—there are many kinds of magic that you can learn here at Hogwarts. But the one you find will be most useful may not be the one that you seek to begin with."

Dane was puzzled. The Headmaster merely looked at him, as if trying to help him to understand. But Dane still couldn't tell what it was that he meant. Dumbledore, however, began walking towards one of the castle's wings. Dane fell right in beside him, still wondering what the old wizard was trying to tell him.

"By the way, you've met one of our other guests?" Dumbledore asked, breaking his train of thought.

"Pardon me?" Dane replied. "Oh—you mean Mlle. de la Croix?"

"Yes, Mr. Peregrino," the Headmaster said. "I mean her."

"Well, yes, sir, I did get to speak with her in the library," Dane said, feeling a little embarassed.

"According to her headmistress, she's quite a brilliant student," Dumbledore told him. "It's too bad she didn't enter her name in the Triwizard Tournament."

"Did her headmistress say why she didn't, sir?" Dane was curious to know.

"Apparently, she felt that some of the older students deserved to enter the tournament," Dumbledore told him. "But she expects to enter the next one."

"I'm sure she's going to do well," Dane remarked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Dumbledore stopped in front of a closed door. "I'll be expecting you for dinner, Mr. Peregrino. Do continue your learning but remember what I told you."

"I will to both admonitions, sir," Dane said.

"I'll see you this evening at the Great Hall then. Goodbye for now, young man." Dumbledore opened the door and stepped inside. Dane waited for him to make his exit and then went off to find something to eat before resuming his research. Professor Sprout had allowed him to sit in during one of her Herbology classes and he wanted to get there ahead of the students so that he would be as unobtrusive as possible.

The Great Hall was always full of people during the evening meal but, with the addition of their guests, the Hall was packed. Thankfully enough for Felicienne, it wasn't claustrophibically tight. She'd never really liked being in large crowds. She was grateful that the Hall was apparently large enough to house all the students and professors without turning them into the proverbial can of sardines.

As she was helping herself to a piece of bread, one of her schoolmates whispered to her, "So, Felicienne, which one is he?"

Felicienne turned to her, puzzled. "Which one is who, Margot?" she whispered back.

"Which one of these young men is the one that you spent time with in the library?" Margot asked.

"Who told you that?" Felicienne wanted to know.

"Oh, a little bird, my friend," Margot answered with a teasing smile. "The other girls saw you with him earlier today when you went to meet with Fleur and our headmistress."

Felicienne didn't answer but her eyes swept the room, searching for Dane and finding him at the table with the other higher witches and wizards. As if sensing her, he looked up from his meal and gazed right at her.

"Ah, is that him?" Margot remarked. "Well, he is indeed rather handsome. Is he a professor here?"

"No, I believe that he's a guest of Hogwarts, just like us." Just as Felicienne reached for her cup to take a sip of wine, she heard his voice in her head.

_Good evening, demoiselle. How was your day?_

Felicienne looked around wondering if anyone else had heard him. When it became apparent that no one did—and that Margot was preoccupied chatting with another of their schoolmates—she answered him.

_Rather well, m'sieur. Thank you for asking._

_Are you attending the first day of the tournament tomorrow?_

_Perhaps; Fleur would be disappointed if we weren't all there to cheer for her. Although she does know that I can't stand to be in the midst of a lot of people._

_Claustrophobic, are you, demoiselle?_

_Yes. _Then Felicienne brightened up as a thought came to her. _Are you going to to the tournament?_

_I was invited, demoiselle. I guess I have to be there. I'll just have to wake up earlier than usual to...exercise._

_Exercise? _

_One must practice one's skills, am I correct? I do so every morning. _

_I see. Perhaps, after you practice, you can fetch me so that we could go together?_

Dane's reaction wasn't what Felicienne expected. He appeared to be choking on a bit of food. Luckily, he regained control of himself before Hagrid, Hogwarts' half-giant groundskeeper and Care For Magical Creatures teacher, could give him a good slap on the back.

_I'm sorry, Dane,_ a flustered Felicienne said.

_No, no—it wasn't your fault...I was just surprised...um, yes, if you want, we can go together tomorrow. I'll pick you up at the courtyard after I practice._

_Very well. I apologize for your mishap._

_Don't worry about it, demoiselle. Shall we be able to meet after supper?_

_I don't see why not. But not for too long; I must get up early as well to help Fleur prepare. _

_All right. Once I'm done eating, I'll meet you at the courtyard then._

Felicienne replied with a nod. She didn't think that Madame Maxime would mind. After all, the students were all given time to socialize with each other before bedtime. Some of her schoolmates, in fact, had already left the table. Fleur was still deep in conversation with some of the other Beauxbatons seniors. No doubt they were talking about the tournament. Felicienne wondered if she would be just as calm as Fleur when it was her turn to take part in it. Then again, she knew that Fleur was tense enough; she just didn't want to let it show in front of the other students, particularly the younger Beauxbatons students—especially her sister.

Once her meal was finished, she stood up, excused herself, and then exited the Hall. A few moments later, Dane left the Hall as well. Dumbledore's gaze followed him.

Professor McGonagall noticed the Headmaster's attention towards their other guest. "Is something the matter, Albus?" she asked.

"No, it's quite all right, Minerva," he told her. "I believe that young man maybe closer to finding the magic that he seeks than even he expected."

"His is a dark path, I fear," Professor McGonagall remarked. "If he were an Auror, I'd still fear for his safety. And he isn't."

"He doesn't need to be an Auror," Dumbledore said. "I think, as long as he can find the magic and learn it well, he'll be safe. And we may even see him again."


	2. Dealing With The Pain

**Dealing With The Pain**

The following morning, Dane woke early, as he intended. He went straight to the Black Lake, finding a secluded part of the beach, and then began his practice. He summoned a shadow, took a weapon—a wooden staff—out of his coat, put his coat aside, and prepared for battle. The shadow waited for him to attack; he did. Their weapons collided, locked, and disengaged. Dane attacked again, was blocked, switched to another tactic, was blocked again. He retreated, considering his next move. The shadow flew at him. His defenses came up instantly, parrying the blows, and then counter-attacking. The shadow gave some ground and then held fast against him. Their staffs locked again. Dane was sweating but his breathing was even. So far, anyway. He pushed the shadow back. It seemingly gave way—only to move with surprising quickness and nearly knock him off his feet with a low circling sweep. As it was, Dane was caught off balance; fortunately, he recovered. In retaliation, he nearly struck the shadow's side with a jab but the shadow moved out of the way.

Dane backpedaled out of harm's way. The shadow did the same. He glared at it, trying to focus his thoughts but they kept on turning to someone else..._she lay still in his arms, he knew she was dying, with her last breath, she tried to speak and it sounded like "You promised" and Dane knew that he had made a promise to her and now he had failed..._

The shadow took advantage of his distraction to lunge inward and knock him down with a stunning blow. The shadow moved back; luckily, Dane hadn't made it too aggressive. He sat up, feeling the pain in his side and his jaw.

Then he heard the singing. Even the shadow sensed it and seemed to still itself, as if to listen to the haunting melody woven by a voice that seemed to come from all around. Dane managed to stand. He planted his staff on the beach to mark his practice area and went to look for the source of the song that he wasn't simply hearing—he could feel it, note for note, inside him.

Felicienne was standing on the beach, looking out at the Black Lake, singing a spell to help keep Fleur calm as she was preparing for the first day of the tournament. She wanted to be with her senior schoolmate but decided that that she would need solitude in order to concentrate. Madame Maxime had allowed her to find a secluded place to sing her spell.

That was when she heard what sounded like fighting. She stopped, trying to determine which was the sounds of the skirmish were coming from; when she felt that she had pinpointed the direction, she went towards it. Perhaps someone was hurt.

As she walked along a path through the woods bordering the lakeshore, she ran into Dane.

"Dane!" she cried out, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hello, Felicienne," Dane said, steadying her. Once again, he'd nearly knocked her over, he thought. "I was practicing, like I told you last night."

"Did you hear the fighting?"

"What fighting? Oh—that was me."

"You?" Felicienne cocked an eyebrow upward questioningly. Dane fleetingly thought about kissing that eyebrow.

"I was practicing my combat technique—come on, I'll show you."

"All right." Again, Felicienne took his arm as she walked alongside him. He led her to his place at the lakeshore.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at the shadow that stood waiting for Dane.

"Oh, that's just a shadow fighter," he explained. "I was taught to summon shadows by one of my teachers. They make great sparring partners. Watch."

Dane picked up his staff and assumed a combat stance. The shadow mirrored his position exactly.

"See?" Dane said, keeping his eyes on the shadow. "It can mirror your moves." He attacked. The shadow evaded, countered, was blocked, broke away, and then attacked again. Dane parried its blows until he found an opening and went in for the kill. His mind zeroed in on the shadow's exposed area. Unfortunately, his mind strayed _again...the face of the killer, the monster that had taken her away from him...he had him now..._ The shadow somehow sensed his lack of focus and anticipated his move. It saw a vulnerability in Dane's form and struck. Dane flew back from a bodyblow that jarred him.

"Dane!" Felicienne ran to where he lay. Dane was groaning and clutching his ribs. She knelt, cradling his head carefully.

"Of course, it can also think—after a fashion," he told her, grinning despite the pain. "It knows a lot about how I fight because it is a part of me, after all. And if you attack it aggressively, it responds the same way. In this case, even more."

"Are you hurt?" she asked him.

"Not while you're here," he said, still grinning. "I just lost focus there for a moment." Dane sat up, preparing to resume his training. But Felicienne stopped him. She looked into his eyes; Dane found her gaze both unbreakable and unbearable at the same time. He knew she was looking inside him.

"So much anger...and so much pain..." Felicienne said softly. "And so much sadness..." She wept silently as she stared into Dane's eyes. "Oh, Dane..."

Dane wanted to stand but Felicienne's gaze held him where he was. Then she helped him up. She pointed to his staff and told him to pick it up.

"Continue," she said in a voice both gentle and firm. "But this time, concentrate. Let me help you."

"How?" Dane asked but she said nothing. He shrugged, assumed his combat stance, and recoiled as the shadow attacked in lightning fashion.

The singing began again. The melody entered into Dane's head and flowed through him. He saw his hands move; the staff defended against the shadow's attack fluidly, like water running across a channel. Instead of the visions that had troubled him earlier, he saw something else_...she was laughing, calling out to him, to chase her as she ran like the wind...and when he caught her, she embraced him, whispering her love..._the shadow's attack was plain to see no matter how quickly it moved. He shifted slightly, allowed it to move in closer, and then struck. The shadow fell, sprang back up_...her hands guided his..._and he sent the shadow flying this time. It tried one last attack but he anticipated it and_...feeling her dance with him, guiding him..._he knocked it back down. At the third strike, the shadow disappeared.

The singing faded into silence. The staff vanished from Dane's hands. He turned around and looked at Felicienne. She was smiling at him proudly.

"You were the one who was singing a while ago?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "I was doing it for Fleur earlier. But now I did it for you." She tottered and Dane ran to her, taking her into his arms to keep her from falling.

"Are you all right, Felicienne?" he asked worriedly.

"Yes, Dane, thank you for not letting me fall," she said, holding onto him. "It takes a lot of strength, sometimes, to sing a person's fears away." He sat her down gently, reached inside his coat for a bottle, and then gave it to her. She thanked him and drank from it.

"Mineral water," he said. "I wish I had brought some Gatorade along but I forgot to buy some at the airport."

"This is enough, don't worry," Felicienne told him. "Dane...if you don't mind my asking—who is the girl?"

Dane sat beside her, as if exhausted. He was silent for awhile and Felicienne was about to withdraw her question when he spoke.

"Her name was—is Raine. She was my ward. More than that, she was my friend. I made a promise to her parents, _to her_ that I would protect her. But then a time came when my house was attacked. Evil men...evil things...who wanted me dead.

"I fought them but there were too many. They knew that they had a chance to defeat me if they brought superior numbers so they did. When I was close to falling, she stood between me and those monsters and held them back. But she was young and her power had not come into fullness. She eventually fell fighting beside me. My anger gave me the strength to repel them at last, even their master, who was as powerful as he was evil. He left but he knew that he'd beaten me because he'd caused me to fail in my promise.

"I cradled her in the ruins of my house—our house. She spoke one last time, reminding me of my promise. She knew that I had failed.

"She was gone before the dawn came. When I had said farewell to her in the proper manner, I left. I knew that I had to track down the monster who took her life.

"I had to keep my promise to her."

Dane fell silent at the end of his tale. His heart felt like breaking, just as it did that dark moment in his life. Felicienne gazed at him, realizing now that she understood at least a small part of why he had come to Hogwarts.

She took his hand in hers. Together, they sat there, looking out at the lake, in perfect silence.

The silence didn't last long. A loud thud reverberated through the ground. Then it was followed by a terrifying roar.

"What was that?" Felicienne said. Dane picked up his coat and put it on, all exhaustion gone from him. He took her by the hand.

"I don't know but I don't like the sound of it," he told her. "I think it came from near the school."

"Is there a shortcut we can take?" Felicienne asked.

Dane stopped. "Yes, there is. Hold on to my hand—whatever happens, don't let go." He opened a doorway for them out of thin air. "Come on, Felicienne," he said. He led the way in and Felicienne followed him without question.

They reappeared near at the bottom of the bridge spanning the river that passed by the school. At the base of the bridge wassome fantastic creature. There were some students approaching it.

"Keep back!" Dane shouted to them. Large, winged, reptilian...he had a feeling it was something that wouldn't like having humans in close proximity to itself.

In a few moments, he was proven right. The creature—it had to be a dragon, what else could it be?—sat up and roared. The students who were going to take a closer look wisely stopped and then began to retreat. A few , however, seemed frozen in fear.

"It must have escaped from the arena!" Felicienne said. "How else could it have gotten here?" The Triwizard Tournament—of course, it made perfect sense. That was one task that would show just how good a wizard or witch was. No one had apparently taken into account that dragons hated captivity.

"Stay here!" Dane told her. He opened another door and reappeared just in time to rescue the more frightened students from a fiery death. Then he returned to Felicienne's side.

"The thing is hurt," he told her.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"Its left wing—I think it broke it when it fell. That thing's going to be uncontrollable unless something is done."

"What did you have in mind?"

"We're going to have to do a little first aid on a dragon," Dane told her evenly. "Are you up for it?"

Felicienne didn't have to be asked twice. Even the dragon keepers were going to be in for trouble if the creature wasn't calmed down. She nodded.

"Hold on to me again," Dane said. "We have to get closer."

"All right," Felicienne said. She put her arms around Dane's waist. "I know you won't let anything happen to us, Dane."

Dane didn't move for a few moments. _You promise? Raine asked him and he said yes, he did, he would protect her..._and so he would.

"I won't," he told her. "I promise."

In the blink of an eye, they were much closer to the dragon than either of them would have liked. The dragon, apparently, didn't like their presence either. It released a burst of flame from its gaping maw. Dane moved quickly, covering Felicienne with his own body. The flame passed over and around them harmlessly. Felicienne looked around her in wonder.

"It's a flame shield," Dane told her. "Listen—can you sing this thing to sleep or at least into a better frame of mind?"

Felicienne looked at the dragon. It had stopped breathing fire. It shifted positions and lifted its tail up high. Dane instantly transported them out of the way. The tail crashed against the ground, sending rocks flying.

"That was close," Dane remarked. The dragon was looking for them, tail ready. "We'd better get a move on. Can you do it, Felicienne?"

"Yes, of course," she replied.

"Stay here. It can still hear you from here," he told her, standing up. "I'll distract it."

"Distract it? How?" Felicienne asked, concern in her voice.

"I'll figure something out!" he said, disappearing from her sight. When he showed up again, he was closing in stealthily on the dragon. The dragon, however, either had an incredible sense of hearing or it was just bad luck on Dane's part. It wheeled around and sent a torrent of flame his way. His shield deflected it but the force of the blast sent him sprawling.

Felicienne nearly screamed when he fell. Dane, however, got to his feet and quickly avoided the rush of fire. _Thank goodness,_ she thought. Dane could take care of himself; now she had to play her part in this task. She closed her eyes and began to concentrate, letting the music and the song build in her. This spell would require all her strength so she could not allow herself to be weakened by fear or by doubt.

As Felicienne was readying her spell, Dane kept the dragon's attention focused on him. _Whoever got this thing must be very grateful if they got away from it alive,_ he told himself. It sucked in another breath in order to resume toasting him.

"All right, big girl, let's play, shall we?" he said to the creature. His staff appeared in his hand. The dragon took it as a threat and sent another fiery wave his way. Dane spun the staff like a windmill, drawing the flames away. _Now I know how a barbecued chicken feels like._ The heat was terrific. If he wasn't under his shield's protection, he would have been toasted to ashes by now.

The dragon tried its spiked tail once more. Dane powered up his shield, using his staff to focus his magic. The staff held against the tail's blow. Dane felt the shield absorb and dissipate the force of the rock-hard spikes. Then he sent a knockdown spell against the creature, trying to take it off its feet. The dragon took it with just the slightest flinch.

_Uh-oh, I need more power,_ Dane thought. The dragon advanced. By the look in its eyes, it meant business. He took up a defensive stance, alertly watching the creature's moves. Abruptly, it stopped, looking at a point above him. Music filled Dane's entire being. Felicienne—it had to be her. He looked behind him; when he saw her, he nearly dropped his staff in surprise.

She was levitating a good six feet above the ground. Or maybe levitating wasn't the right word. From what Dane saw, there were two silvery gossamer wings that looked like they were attached to her back. The wings moved gently, as if blown by a soft breeze. A shimmery aura of the same color as the wings, touched with blue, surrounded Felicienne. Her voice rang out floated free, clear, and strong.

The dragon stood transfixed by the spell song. Felicienne could feel its rage subsiding. _Good,_ she thought. She began to lower herself slowly. Dane was watching her and the creature in case it went wild again. Felicienne approached it slowly. It grumbled warily but did not make a move to stop her in any way. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw some of the Hogwarts students and their counterparts from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang come closer to watch what she was doing. Dane told them to keep a safe distance.

The dragon was now within a few feet of her. Its grumbling stopped. Felicienne could look it in the eyes. She could sense pain, bewilderment—but not too much anger. Slowly, the dragon began to sit down on its haunches.

_Dane, now what? s_he asked as she continued to sing it into tranquility.

_Now it's my turn,_ he replied. He got rid of his staff and approached it carefully, not wanting to spook it, even if it was under Felicienne's spell. He spoke to it using the dragon language that one of his teachers—another dragon, this one Japanese—had taught him painstakingly. The dragon seemed to understand that neither he nor Felicienne bore her any ill will. It allowed Dane to clamber onto its back. The students surrounding them gasped in amazement. He used the spikes growing on its skin to leverage him as close to the wing as possible.

"Here's where the pain is..." he said. It was near the main joint that allowed the creature to flex its wing. The dragon let out a grumble as it noticed his intent to touch the wound where a bone was protruding.

_"No, friend,"_ he told it in dragon's words, though it hurt his throat (European dragon languages tended to have a harsher sound as compared to Oriental dragon languages). _"Letus help you, please."_ The dragon calmed down as a warm glow began to emanate from Dane's hand. He held it close to the injury.

_What happened to it, Dane?_ Felicienne asked.

_It probably hit the bridge while it was chasing someone, most likely a contestant in the tournament, _Dane replied. He watched the broken bone and torn flesh mend itself. Pretty soon, the wing looked as if nothing had happened to it.

_I'm done—you'd better start going back, Felicienne,_ Dane said.

_Don't worry, Dane,_ Felicienne replied. _Look—she's asleep._

Dane turned and saw that Felicienne was correct. The spell must have calmed it down a great deal. And since the pain was gone—most if it, anyway—it was no longer wild with the hurt. He took the opportunity to get off the creature. Just in time, he saw a large individual appear at the crest of the slope where the dragon lay. It was Professor Hagrid; with him were the entire dragon keeper contingent that was responsible for these creatures.

"Hello, down there!" he called out. "Are you all right?"

"They saved our lives, Hagrid!" one of the younger students at his side told him. "They put the dragon to sleep!"

"Is that so, Justine?" Hagrid remarked. "All's well then." He gestured at the two to come up.

Dane went over to Felicienne, who was now standing on solid ground. "Let's leave her to the experts," he told her, taking her by the hand. "Our work is done."

"Yes, lets go," she said. "I feel--" Felicienne didn't get to finish her sentence or go any further. Instead, she collapsed. The last memory she had before blacking out was Dane catching her as she fell and carrying her up the slope, Hagrid telling him where the dispensary was, then being transported there via Dane's magic.


	3. Bedside Manners

**Bedside Manners**

When Felicienne woke up, she saw that she was lying in a bed in another part of Hogwarts. She looked around and saw several other beds, all which were empty. She quickly guessed that she must be in the school dispensary or the hospital.

"Ah, excellent," she heard someone say. "You're awake."

Slowly, her eyes focused on a somewhat elderly woman to her right, standing over her with a cup in her hand. "Here," the woman told her," drink a little of this, dear. It will help clear the cobwebs a bit."

"Let me help you." It was Dane. He held the cup steady for her as she took a few tentative sips from it.

"Enough," the woman said, taking the cup from Dane.. She was dressed in a white and red uniform and had a face both stern and kindly. In all likelihood, she was the Head Nurse of the school hospital.

"Thank you, madame," Felicienne managed to say in a half-whisper.

"You can thank me and the young gentleman who brought you here by getting well," the woman told her. "And to do that, young lady, rest is what you need. You exhausted yourself by using your magic on a full-grown dragon. Don't you know that Horntails are especially resistant to magic when they're wild?"

Felicienne attempted to sit up. Dane helped her to do so. "What happened to the dragon?" she asked.

"Professor Hagrid and the dragon keepers were able to take it away without incident," Dane told her. "Your magic really calmed it down."

"Good," Felicienne said. "I wouldn't want them to get hurt by the dragon or to have them hurt the dragon either."

"Well, they're all right," the nurse said. "And now you must rest so that you can be all right too."

"May I stay with her for a while, Madame Pomfrey?" Dane asked.

Madame Pomfrey considered his request. "You may—but don't stay too long. She has to rest, understand, young man?"

"Yes, Madame Pomfrey," Dane replied.

"Good." The Head Nurse picked up a tray at Felicienne's bedside and went to the door. At that moment, Headmaster Dumbledore and Madame Maxime entered the hospital.

"Ah, Madame Pomfrey," the Headmaster said to the Head Nurse," it appears your patient is doing well?"

"She will recover, sir," Madame Pomfrey said. "With enough rest, she will soon be back on her feet again."

"Excellent," Dumbledore remarked. With that, Madame Pomfrey left the dispensary.

"Madame," Felicienne was saying to her headmistress as she stood over her student and comforted her, "I apologize for not being at the arena this morning--"

"No, demoiselle," Madame Maxime told her gently. "Do not distress yourself. Fleur handled her task ably enough. She heard your song and it was enough to keep her fear from overcoming her."

"Then she will advance to the next round of the tournament?" Felicienne asked.

"_Oui, mon petite," _Madame Maxime replied with a smile. "She will."

"That's good to know," Dane remarked.

Madame Maxime looked at Dane, as if noticing his presence for the first time. "You are the young man who brought Felicienne here?" she asked.

"Yes, Madame Maxime," Dane answered with a slight bow.

"Mr. Peregrino is a guest here at Hogwarts, much like you and your students, Madame Maxime," Headmaster Dumbledore said, approaching Dane. "I understand you and Mlle. de la Croix prevented a potential tragedy from taking place earlier today, young man."

"Oh, well, sir," Dane said, "it wasn't as if we could let that dragon just go berserk with so many students nearby. Felicienne did most of the work, actually. I just kept the dragon distracted."

"_Non!"_ Felicienne objected. "Dane actually _healed _the dragon, M'sieur Dumbledore."

"You healed it?" Madame Maxime said, incredulous. "But that is just unbelievable! A wild dragon!"

"Did you, Mr. Peregrino?" the old wizard asked.

"Well, sir," Dane said sheepishly, "I did. It was hurt; that's why it was going nuts. I mean, wild. I had to make take the pain away."

"And did you heal Mlle. de la Croix as well?" the Headmaster wanted to know.

"Not completely," Dane told him. "I just kind of stabilized her condition because I was afraid she might fall into a coma or something. But Madame Pomfrey did the rest. She knew exactly what to do."

"Yes," Headmaster Dumbledore agreed. "She does know what to do. And so do you two. Excellent."

"Yes, indeed. And I am truly grateful to you, sir, for not allowing the dragon to hurt my student and for administering to her in her time of distress," Madame Maxime said with a bit of a bow. "Although a little more caution in the future wouldn't hurt, would it?" she added.

"Of course, Madame Maxime," the old wizard said. "I'm sure they knew that. Come—let's leave them for a while. Remember what Madame Pomfrey said, Mr. Peregrino: she needs to rest."

"Yes, sir," Dane said. "I'll remember."

When the two school heads had left, Dane took a chair and sat down beside Felicienne. "Well, that went rather nicely, thank goodness," he said. "Your headmistress looks like she could break me in half, magic or no magic."

"_Oui,"_ Felicienne agreed, smiling slightly. "That she could probably do to you. But she has seen that you have allowed no harm to come to me and that's what is important to her."

"She really cares about all of you, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she does. She is worried for Fleur, of course, since she is taking part in the Triwizard Tournament. But she is also concerned that we should learn what we can without endangering ourselves while we are here at Hogwarts."

There was silence between them for a while as they simply looked at each other. And then, Felicienne's hand, as if moving on its own volition, reached for Dane.

"I'm glad to see that you're okay," he told her, taking her hand in his.

"Did you really heal me, Dane?" she asked him, grasping his hand gently.

'Well...like I said, I was worried that you might fall into a coma so I did," Dane told her.

"Thank you, Dane," Felicienne said, brushing Dane's hair back and touching his face softly. "You kept your promise not to let anything happen to us."

Dane took her hand and kissed it tenderly. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, Felicienne de la Croix," he told her in a soft voice. "Not while I can help it." He stood up and hugged the young witch. She hugged him back.

"I know, Dane," she whispered to him. "I know that."

The discreet yet audible sound of a throat being cleared in mild disapproval made them reluctantly release one another. Dane turned around to see that Madame Pomfrey had returned with sleepwear for Felicienne.

"I guess you should rest now," Dane told her.

"No guesses, Mr. Peregrino," Madame Pomfrey said. "She will be resting for the remainder of the morning. Out you go now, please."

"Yes, Madame," Dane replied. He kissed Felicienne's hand once again. "I'll drop by again during visiting hours," he told her.

"I'll be expecting that," Felicienne said.

Dane let go of her hand and departed from the dispensary in thoughtful silence. Felicienne's words remained in his head as he walked the corridors of Hogwarts on his way to his chamber. _You kept your promise not to let anything happen to us._ Words that resonated deeply in his soul and gave him some measure of peace for the first time since he arrived at Hogwarts. But he knew that it just wasn't time for him to end his quest just yet. He still had to see it through.


	4. After An Errand

**After An Errand**

Dane stopped for a moment to admire the sight of Hogwarts from where he stood. The castle stood tall and proud, even in the dull morning light cast by the sun. He had to admit—it did feel like he was returning home after his trip to London. At that thought, however, his left shoulder gave a dull ache. He ignored it, telling himself that it was a small price to pay for his success. He had been expecting that it would take him a while to make progress but a week and a half was all it took to shake things up but good. With his work done for the time being, he left London and made his way back to Hogwarts. He hefted the duffel bag that he had set down as he stopped to gaze at the castle onto his left shoulder. With a smile on his face, he leapt to the top of the nearest tree and began to skip from treetop to treetop, whistling a merry tune. A few birds joined in and sang along with him. Dane avoided the nests that he saw so as not to disturb any fledglings or eggs. As he was halfway across the woods, he spotted two familiar figures down below in a small clearing.

"Professor Hagrid!" he called out.

The half-giant looked up, searching for whoever had called his name. His dog, Fang, let out a bark.

"Up here, sir!" Dane said, laughing. Hagrid turned slightly and finally caught sight of him.

"Well, Mr. Peregrino! You've come back!" the half-giant said in a delighted voice. Fang let out a volley of happy barks.

Dane jumped down and landed lightly in front of Hagrid and Fang. The dog wasted no time in running towards Dane, nearly bowling him over as he rose from the crouching position he'd assumed upon touching the ground.

"Easy, Fang, easy!" Dane told the massive canine. "I missed you too, boy, but don't rough me up!" Fang gave Dane one last lick before sitting down on his haunches.

"Good to see you again, lad," Hagrid said, gripping Dane's arm.

"Good to be back, sir," Dane replied, reciprocating the gesture.

"Been to London, have you?" Hagrid lifted the duffel bag and slung it over one of his broad shoulders. "Come on—let's get to my hut for some tea and you can tell me all about what you did back there."

"Why, thank you, Professor Hagrid," Dane said.

"Now, lad—you know I told you to call me Hagrid. None of that professor stuff." He clapped Dane on the shoulder, unintentionally setting off a flare of pain. Dane tried to conceal it but Hagrid apparently heard his soft groan.

"Did I hurt you, lad?" the half-giant asked. "My apologies if I did."

"No, you didn't, Hagrid," Dane assured him. "I got this in London." He massaged his shoulder gently. The pain subsided as quickly as it had come. His healing powers were apparently still low after everything that happened over the past three days or so.

"Well, let's get to my hut then," Hagrid said, "and let's see if I can't do something about it."

After a brief rest at his hut, Hagrid escorted Dane to Headmaster Dumbledore's office. He knocked happily on the old wizard's door. From inside, they heard him say "Come in."

"Go on in, lad," Hagrid told Dane, pushing the door open and holding it for him. "I expect the headmaster's been waiting for you."

"Thanks for the tea and the salve, Hagrid," Dane said.

"Think nothing of it," Hagrid said. "Thank you for the scarf. And in my size too!"

"Well, I found a couple of places in London that sold clothing for big and tall men," Dane said.

"Good thing. Anyway, you'd best go in. I'll see you later at luncheon, I suppose." Hagrid closed the door silently behind Dane as he entered the headmaster's chamber.

"Mr. Peregrino! Welcome back to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, rising from his desk to meet his guest.

"Thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore," Dane replied. They shook hands.

"And how was your time in London?" Dumbledore motioned for him to sit at a chair near the fireplace. Dane did so and the old wizard joined him.

"It was fruitful, sir," Dane told him. "I didn't imagine that it would go so well but it did."

"Would you care for some tea, Mr. Peregrino?" Dumbledore asked. "Although I assume you had some with Hagrid?"

"I wouldn't mind another one, sir," Dane said "I must say, the tea is awfully good here. But how did you know that I had tea with Professor Hagrid?"

"Pardon me for saying so but you smell like Fang," the headmaster said with a chuckle as he poured a cup of tea from a pot that stood within easy reach. "He uses that salve on just about anything in his care that gets injured. It is effective, though, I must say." He handed the cup to Dane, who took it with thanks. He took a sip .Hagrid's tea had taken the edge off his fatigue; this time he felt his spirits being calmed.

"This is nice, sir," Dane said.

"I'm glad you like it," Dumbledore said. "And I hope you didn't injure yourself too badly?"

"Not really, sir." Dane narrated his adventures in London as he drank his tea. He decided not to gloss over the rough parts, especially the melee he was involved in against a gang of vampires and werewolves in the Whitechapel district. The old wizard sat up in his chair at the mention of Fenrir Greyback's name.

"Fenrir Greyback was in London?" he asked the young mage.

"No, sir," Dane answered. "But some of his minions were there. One of them threw me onto a cinderblock wall and caused this"—he pointed at his injured shoulder—"before we subdued him. And from what we gathered, there might be someone else there that you may know: Ludo Bagman. Apparently, he's been playing messenger and errand boy for both his master, Lord Voldemort, and Xavier Gray."

"Hmmm...this is disturbing news," Dumbledore said as he reflected upon Dane's news. "It seems we're all fighting a much larger war than I expected."

Dane nodded. From what he learned in London, Lord Voldermort was feared as greatly as Xavier Gray. His thoughts turned to Harry Potter. He hadn't spoken with the young man yet but he knew the story of The Boy Who Lived—no magic user around nowadays was unfamiliar with Harry's growing legend. If Voldemort intended to do the young man harm, perhaps he could teach Harry some of his own magic.

"I hope what you learned will be able to help you," Dumbledore spoke, breaking into Dane's thoughts.

"I hope it will help us all, sir," Dane said. "I do intend to return to London next week to meet with Professor Lupin again. I'm grateful that you recommended me to him." He was about to stand when he remembered the duffel bag beside his chair. "Oh! Before I forget!" Dane reached into the duffel bag and produced a handsomely wrapped gift. He handed it to the old wizard.

"Now, what's this?" Dumbledore asked.

"A present, sir. I heard you liked such things so I got enough for you and the other administration and faculty." Dane reached into his bag and produced a few more packages.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore undid the ribbon and wrapper on the parcel he held in his hands. He took off the lid of the box within to reveal a luscious array of dark chocolates.

"Go ahead, sir, taste them," Dane said, smiling.

Dumbledore took one of the confections and popped it into his mouth. He chewed on it thoughtfully, savoring the subtle blend of bitterness and sweetness. It was truly an amazing treat.

"Mr. Peregrino," he said, a pleased look beaming from his face, "I am eternally in your debt for this fine gift of yours."

"Oh, no, sir," Dane replied, a bit embarassed. "It was the least I could do in return for your hospitality."

"And did you bring a gift for Mlle. de la Croix?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eye and the hint of a smile on his lips.

For the first time in a long while, Dane blushed. "Well, um," he began to say but the headmaster stopped him.

"Go on and see her, Mr. Peregrino," the old wizard said to him. "She's been released from the dispensary already but seems to have taken an interest in helping Nurse Pomfrey in her spare time. I believe you can find her without any help from me?"

Dane stood up and bowed slightly as he took his leave from the headmaster. "I think I will see her now, sir," he said, grateful for the exit that Dumbledore had given him. "Thank you for the tea."

"You're most welcome," Dumbledore said, acccompanying him to the door.

Dane's next stop was to the Hogwarts caretaker's office. Fortunately for him, Argus Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris, were inside. Because of the tournament, he didn't expect them to have too much time to rest. Filch answered the door muttering complaints about being worked too hard but changed his tone when he saw who his visitor was. Even Mrs. Norris, normally an aloof a cat as any, began rubbing herself against his legs.

"Hello, Mr. Filch," Dane greeted them. "Hello, Mrs. Norris." He picked up the cat and carried it in his arms as he entered Filch's office. The caretaker looked at his guest with mild jealousy as Dane cradled his beloved pet. Still, he considered it a miracle that Mrs. Norris seemed to trust the young man almost from the moment that she met him. There weren't too many people in the school that his pet got along with well.

"So you're back, Peregrino," Filch said, putting a chair out for his guest. "How did it go?"

"Very well, thank you very much, sir," Dane said, sitting down. He put Mrs. Norris down and produced two considerable lengths of chains from his duffel bag. He coiled them carefully and set them down on the floor. Next, he put a rolled-up bullwhip on top of the nearby table.

"So you put those to good use, I take it, Peregrino?" Filch asked with a venomous smile.

"Yes, sir," Dane replied grimly. "You were right—nothing magical or non-magical can escape those chains." He looked at them, a slight grimace of distaste on his face as he wondered how many magic users had been tied up with those links of cold black steel.

"And this?" Filch asked, nodding towards the whip.

"You can see for yourself, sir," Dane said.

Filch unrolled the whip and saw little flecks of dried blood on it. "Used it hard, did you?" the caretaker said approvingly. "That's what all this is made for, Peregrino—to deal with those who use magic wrongly. To show them that they have to keep in line and follow the rules, if they know what's good for them."

Dane wanted to ask if he'd ever used those on any of Hogwarts' students but was afraid that the answer would be in the affirmative. He was waging war on Xavier Gray, he knew that, but the effect the whip and chains had on his enemy's minions was almost too much for him to take. Worse, he had this eerie feeling that the caretaker's ominous tools were trying to control him; when he was using the chains to capture his foes and the whip to fight them, he had nearly been taken by the desire to use them over and over and over again, even when his foes had surrendered. He had mastered himself then but wondered even now if he would ever want to use those tools again. He suppressed a shudder that was travelling down his spine on cat's feet.

Quietly, Dane reached into his bag and brought out a small parcel.

"This one is for Mrs. Norris, sir," Dane said. Filch took the parcel and ripped it open. A rare smile of happiness broke out on his face as he held up the new collar that Dane had gotten for his pet. "Come here, my sweet," he called the cat. He put the collar on and looked approvingly at his pet. "You look beautiful, my sweet."

"These are for you." Dane handed him a pair of bigger, upright parcels. Again, Filch ripped one open. It was a bottle of dark green glass. The caretaker undid the cork, then stopped. He took a sniff of the contents.

"What is this?" he wanted to know.

"Scotch," Dane said. "From King Anfortas' casks, I was told. But the proof of the pudding—"

Filch stopped Dane mid-sentence by taking a hearty swig from the bottle. "Ahhhh, good God, man!" he bellowed. "Now that's the real thing!" He offered Dane the bottle.

"No, thank you, sir," Dane declined politely. "I never drink on an empty stomach."

"More for me then. You let me know when you need anymore help, eh, Peregrino?" Filch said, knocking back on the bottle again. Dane didn't notice too much of an effect taking place on the caretaker though.

"Yes, sir," Dane said and quietly slipped out of the office. He fairly flew up to the hospital wing of the castle, his heart beating in excitement.


	5. Medical Attention

**MEDICAL ATTENTION**

Felicienne was in the storeroom, taking inventory of the hospital's supplies when Nurse Pomfrey spoke up from behind her.

"I'll take care of that, Ms. De la Croix," Hogwarts' head nurse said. "Go attend to the person out in the dispensary."

"_Oui_, Nurse Pomfrey," the young witch said. She handed over the parchment and quill in her hands and then went out to see what new case required her attention. "Good morning," she was already saying to the patient and stopped when she saw who it was.

"Good morning, Felicienne," Dane greeted her. "Sorry it took me a while to get back…"

That was all that Felicienne needed to hear. She nearly knocked Dane down as she ran into his arms. They embraced each other for a while. The young witch only broke off when she noticed something odd about the mage.

"Dane—why do you smell like M'sieur Hagrid's dog, Fang?" she asked. She didn't remove his arms from around her, though.

"Oh, uh, well…he sort of used Fang's, um, salve on my shoulder," Dane explained.

"What happened to your shoulder?" Felicienne wanted to know.

Dane felt like lying just a bit so that she wouldn't get worried but decided against it. "I injured it while fighting a werewolf," he told her.

Felicienne gasped in fright. "A _loup-garou_? Were you bitten?"

"No, I got him before he could do that to me," Dane assured her.

"Let me see your shoulder," Felicienne told him. She extricated herself from his embrace and gestured towards one of the hospital beds.

Dane tried to protest: "It's not that bad anymore…the salve actually works."

"Still, I want to examine your shoulder." Felicienne beckoned him over to the bed. "Are you going to come here or will I have to use my magic to bring you her?" She had a smile on her face but Dane didn't doubt for one moment that the young witch could make good on her seemingly mild threat. The presence of Nurse Pomfrey backing her up from behind finally convinced him.

'Yes, _mam'selle_," he said. He sat down on the bed.

"Take off your coat and your vest, Dane," she instructed him. He removed those two garments and rolled up his shirt sleeve. Felicienne took hold of his arm and began to examine his shoulder, checking its range of movement. Nurse Pomfrey gathered up some items from a nearby cabinet.

"Does that hurt?" she asked, rolling his arm gently.

"Not really," Dane said. "The last time it hurt was when Professor Hagrid accidentally thumped it."

Felicienne smiled. "So, tell me—how did you wind up fighting with a werewolf?"

"There was a bunch of them working with a gang of vampires in London," the mage explained. "They were Xavier Gray's enforcers."

Felicienne nodded; Dane had told her about Xavier Gray several times already when they were together.

Dane continued: "Professor Remus Lupin—he's a werewolf himself but he taught here at Hogwarts—he and I, along with a few others, were able to catch them by surprise at their hideout in Whitechapel. Professor Lupin was supposed to handle Duke Ripper, the werewolves' leader, while I took care of Urius, the head vampire."

"And what happened?" asked Felicienne. She was applying some of her own healing magic to Dane's shoulder. Nurse Pomfrey handed her something; it was a salve much like the one Hagrid had used on Dane but more properly prepared for human use. The young witch took it with thanks and applied it to the mage's shoulder while softly crooning a song. Her hands glowed bluish-white as she rubbed the ointment onto him.

"Professor Lupin had a little trouble with Ripper," Dane said. "I had to help him out since I had already disabled Urius."

"And that was when you injured your shoulder, Mr. Peregrino?" Nurse Pomfrey interjected.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. "Ripper threw me against a brick wall. I think the impact knocked a three-inch hole into it. I'll have to check when I go back."

"But not anytime soon," Felicienne said. "You have to rest your shoulder."

"I agree with Ms. De la Croix's diagnosis, Mr. Peregrino," Nurse Pomfrey told him. "You don't have to be put in traction but I would advise you not to engage in physical combat for the moment. I'll let Ms. De la Croix decide when you can engage in your personal activities again." The Head Nurse's expression challenged Dane to object. Fortunately for him, he didn't.

"Now run along, you two—I know that Ms. De la Croix has classes to attend in an hour or so." Nurse Pomfrey said. "Why don't you have lunch with her, Mr. Peregrino?"

Dane silently thanked the Head Nurse for the not-so-subtle opportunity she gave them to spend a little more time together. He put his vest and coat back on and waited as Felicienne gathered her things. Then they bade Nurse Pomfrey goodbye for the moment and went to the Great Hall to see if they could still get something to eat.


	6. An Invitation To A Dance

**AN INVITATION TO A DANCE**

Dane and Felicienne held hands as they walked through the corridors of the castle on their way to the Great Hall. The students who saw them whispered to themselves and smiled. Whenever the young witch and the mage noticed them, they smiled back at them.

"I think we're becoming an item," Dane said.

"An item?" Felicienne said.

"Figure of speech," Dane told her. "It means that everyone seems to be talking about us."

"Perhaps it had something to do about the dragon," Felicienne ventured.

"Maybe," Dane said. "I like to think that it's because of the beautiful young _demoiselle_ I'm with right now." He gave the young witch a peck on the cheek. Felicienne blushed and squeezed his hand a little tighter.

They reached the Great Hall and found a few of her classmates there lingering over their lunch. When they saw her and who she was with, they waved her over, giggling among themselves.

"Would you like to join them or shall I tell them that we're having lunch together?" Felicienne asked.

"No, let's go on over there and give them something to talk about, like the song says," Dane replied.

"What song?" the young witch asked.

"Remind me to talk to you about rock and roll when I get the chance, okay?" the mage told her. "_Bon jour, demoiselles_," he greeted the other Beauxbatons as they came to their table.

"You're a bit late, aren't you, Felicienne?" Margot remarked.

"And we now see why," another girl added.

"Katrine, please," Felicienne scolded her gently, "at least let Dane eat before you embarrass him."

"I'll try not to get too embarrassed," Dane said with a smile. "I'll go see if they have any broiled basilisk left in the kitchen." He left Felicienne with her friends as he went to get them something to eat.

"He is much more handsome up close," Katrine whispered to Felicienne.

"Is he as good a wizard as he is good-looking?" the fourth girl in their group—Angelie was her name—asked.

"Girls, please! Not so loud," Felicienne told them.

"We're already whispering," Katrine said. "So—is he really good at magic?"

"_Oui_, he is," Felicienne said. "I'm sure you've all heard about the incident involving the dragon."

"Yet he doesn't seem to be taking much credit for it, is he?" Angelie pointed out.

"I guess it's just not his way of doing things," Felicienne said.

"_Oui_," Katrine said. "If it had been that Draco Malfoy who did it, he'd be boasting about it even in his sleep."

"Be careful of what you say about Draco Malfoy," Margot warned her classmates. "Remember—his father is a member of the Ministry."

"And we're guests here, we must also remember that," Felicienne added.

"Will M'sieur Peregrino be your partner for the Yule Ball?" Katrine asked.

"I haven't thought about it yet," Felicienne replied. "It's still several days, maybe even a few weeks away, after all."

"Ask him anyway, Felicienne," Angelie advised her. "Although I hope he can dance as well as you."

"Hush! Here he comes," Margot told her classmates. Felicienne looked up to see Dane levitating two plates full of food, two goblets, and a crystal bottle towards the Beauxbatons' table. He set all of it down gently and in their proper places.

"What were you two asking again?" Felicienne asked Angelie and Katrine with a wink.

After lunch, the other three girls walked slightly ahead of Dane and Felicienne as he was accompanying them to class.

"My friends seem to like you," Felicienne told Dane quietly while the other girls talked among themselves.

"Really?" Dane said. "Well, that's nice. They're a good bunch, from what I can see."

"Dane…are you going to be here around Christmastime?" the young witch asked.

"I think I'll be here until the end of the school year," the mage replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Hogwarts is the host of the Yule Ball this year since they are also hosting the Triwizard Tournament," Felicienne explained.

"The Yule Ball? When is that?" Dane picked up a leaf and sent it flying ahead of them like a bird.

"Christmas, I was told," Felicienne told him.

"Christmas…" Dane looked like he was consulting some mental calendar. "Do you mean Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?"

"It's going to be held on Christmas Night, actually." Felicienne called back the leaf and transformed it into something resembling an origami bird and sent it flying off again.

Dane watched the leaf fly for a while before speaking: "Well, I am going to be here for Christmas…you want to attend the Ball?"

Felicienne stopped in her tracks; so did Dane. They faced each other.

"Are you asking me to go to the Yule Ball with you, Dane Peregrino?" the young witch asked.

"Why, yes—I believe I am," the mage answered her. "Felicienne De la Croix, would you like to attend the Yule Ball with me?"

Felicienne almost jumped into his arms. "Yes, Dane—I would like that very much," she told him, hugging his neck.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation—such as it was." Dane hugged her back.

"Ahem," someone said. It was Margot. "Well, I'm glad that you're probably the first among us to find a partner for the Ball, Felicienne, but I do believe we're going to be late for class."

"Goodness, so we are," the young witch said. "I suppose I'll just see you later, Dane?"

"Hang on." Dane used his transport magic to open a door. "Come on—this is a shortcut." He took Felicienne by the hand and led her into the door.

"Margot! Let's go!" the young witch called to her friends. The other three girls followed.


	7. Duel With A Young Dragon

**DUEL WITH A YOUNG DRAGON**

Dane trudged up the path leading back to Hogwarts with Viktor Krum beside him. Despite the coolness of the air, sweat pured freely down their bodies.

"That was good practice, sir," Viktor told him. "You have excellent magic."

"So do you," Dane said. "Some of it is real hardcore."

"Hardcore, sir?"

"It means that it's killer—you know, real tough." Dane ran a hand through his hair. "You're studying dark magic at Durmstrang, aren't you?"

"Yes," Viktor answered. "Our master thinks that would make it easier for us to protect ourselves against dark magic if we knew how it is done."

"Makes sense to me," Dane remarked. "Although it is a little dangerous, isn't it?"

"In some ways, it is," Viktor admitted. "But then Master Karkaroff is careful about these things." He paused. "You seem to know some of our kind of magic yourself."

Dane grinned sheepishly: "I learn magic by learning martial arts. Some of my teachers came from your part of the world."

"Ah, is that so?" Viktor said. "Well, perhaps you can come to Durmstrang and teach us what you know."

Dane thought about it. "Well, you know...I am going to Russia to visit some friends...maybe I can hitch a ride with you guys. Let's talk to your teacher about it—if he says yes, you've got yourself a deal."

Viktor broke into an expansive smile and extended his hand towards Dane. "Agreed, sir." They shook hands. As they were passing the school quadrangle, Viktor caught sight of Hermione Granger going to class. He threw her a quick glance with just a hint of the smile that had been on his face a few moments ago. Hermione noticed him but didn't linger to make anything of it.

"You kind of like her, Viktor?" Dane asked.

Viktor looked at him. His face had the unmistakable expression of a schoolboy with an unrequited crush.

"Well...I suppose...yes," Viktor answered. He blushed slightly.

"So why don't you ask her to the Yule Ball?" Dane suggested.

"You think I should, sir?"

"It can't hurt. And who knows? She just might say yes." Dane clapped him on the shoulder. "Just try, you know?"

Viktor nodded. "I think I will, sir." With that, they parted company, with each one heading for their respective quarters.

After a bath and some meditation, Dane left his room. From what he remembered of Felicienne's schedule, she wasn't going to be free until lunch so he decided to visit the library. After that, he would see Nurse Pomfrey about his shoulder. He touched it lightly. From time to time, it still ached dully but otherwise, judging from his lakeside workout with Viktor Krum, it seemed to be returning to full health. That was good. He had a feeling he'd be doing some hard fighting again before long.

He was walking through the quadrangle once again, idly watching the students, when he noticed a small commotion going on. He recognized one of the participants right away: it was Lucius Malfoy's son, Draco. He was tormenting Neville Longbottom. _Like father, like son,_ he thought to himself. Fleetingly, he wondered if he should just let the boy be; after all, the school could discipline him. But then his personal code of honor kicked in and he decided to approach Malfoy the Younger and the others to see what was going on.

"Draco, give that back to Neville!" a girl told him sharply. Draco had a book in his hands; he and his friends—one fairly tall and curly-haired, the other fat and short-haired—were playing keepaway with it. He threw it to his curly-haired friend. The girl, apparently annoyed beyond rationality, gave the boy a kick in the shin. He cried out in pain and threw the book back to the fat kid, who pushed Neville away as he went over to try to get it back. Then the fat kid gave it back to Draco. As Draco held the book up and away from Neville and the girl, it flew out of his hands.

Draco wheeled around to see who'd spoiled his fun and was more than a little surprised to see the book levitating in front of Dane.

"What do you think you're doing?" Malfoy the Younger asked. Dane found his voice to be a bit whiny, nothing at all like his father's, which was smoothly menacing.

"Handing Mr. Longbottom's property back to him," Dane said. He opened his hand and caught the book. Neville and his friend went up to him. "Here you go." Neville took the book gratefully. Dane saw the cover. It was a book on magical plants.

"Thank you, Mr. Peregrino," Neville said. He turned towards his companion. "Thanks for your help too, Ginny."

"You're welcome, Neville," Ginny Weasley said. They were about to walk away when Draco spoke up: "This isn't over yet, Longbottom!"

Dane stepped towards them. "Yes, it is, Mr. Malfoy. And just before you go, you owe Mr. Longbottom and his friend an apology."

"What?" Draco glared at Dane to no effect. "Who do you think you are? You're just a guest here, if I remember correctly."

"That's right," Dane said. "I'm a guest. You, on the other hand, Mr. Malfoy, are a student here which means you should know better. Now be a man and apologize to Mr. Longbottom and his friend."

"Why don't you—" Draco's curly-haired friend started to say but stopped when Dane fixed his eyes—with a lightning-like glow coming from them—right at him. Even the fat kid took a few steps back.

"I'm not addressing you, young man, so I suggest that you shut up. I'm not done with your gang leader here so stand in line and I'll deal with you afterwards." Dane returned his attention to Draco. "One last chance, Mr. Malfoy—you owe Mr. Longbottom and his friend an apology."

"I will not apologize," Draco replied. "If you think you're enough of a wizard to make me, why don't we have ourselves a duel right now, eh?"

Neville and Ginny Weasley aproached Dane. "Mr. Peregrino, an apology's not necessary, really, I've got my book back so we can go..." he said.

"That's right, sir," Ginny agreed. "Let's not make any more trouble..."

"He's the one who started it, Weasley," Draco said, taking out his wand. "Let's see if he can do something about it."

Dane tried not to laugh. The idea of Draco Malfoy actually engaging him in a duel of magic was a joke. Still, he decided to give the boy a chance to save face.

"You're on," Dane said. "But I propose we limit ourselves to three attack spells each. Will that be fair, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I could finish you with one but if you want to suffer, well, that's your business." Draco assumed what he thought was a dueling stance. Dane thought that if they had been duking it out hand-to-hand, he would've been able to sweep the boy off his feet and lock him into a submission hold in two heartbeats. Dimly, he heard Ginny Weasley tell Neville that they had better find a teacher to break the duel up. The other students in the quadrangle kept their distance but watched the impending battle intently.

"You first," Dane told Draco. Malfoy the Younger immediately went on the attack with a spell that sent Dane flying.

_Predictable,_ the mage thought. He twisted in mid-air, worked a silent counterspell, and then landed without trouble. Draco didn't even wait for him to fight back; he uttered another incantation. A snake materialized out of thin air and was sent towards Dane.

Dane stopped it before it could even come close. He used a spell of his own that made the snake wrap itself docilely around his forearm. Then it disappeared into the sleeve of his trench coat. There was an audible gasp of awe from the watching students.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, you've used two attack spells. I believe I've still got three. So I guess it's my turn now, isn't it?" When Draco didn't reply, Dane raised an arm. From his coat sleeve, out came the snake Draco had attacked him with.

"What the—" was all Draco managed to say before Dane worked his magic. The snake turned into a larger version of itself, made up of bluish-white energy. It wrapped itself around Draco, immobilizing him. None of his defense spells could help him escape.

He approached Draco, who was struggling to break free. "I'd say this duel's over, am I right, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco didn't answer; instead, he tried mightily to extricate himself from the predicament he was in. The other students were beginning to laugh in amusement and Draco's face grew redder and redder with embarrassment.

Dane finally released Draco. "There you go. That was a pretty good duel, Mr. Malfoy. Thanks for the exercise." He turned and saw Neville and Ginny Weasley together. He waved at them and began to walk towards them.

"Mr. Peregrino! Look out!" Ginny cried out. Dane turned just in time to see Draco point his wand at him. The boy's face was contorted in fury. The students ran in panic when he screamed out a spell: "_Avada Kedavra!"_

A bolt of pure dark magic lanced towards Dane. He quickly raised his defenses and deflected it. The force of it caused him to stagger. Draco ducked to avoid it.

And then Dane saw it arrowing towards a girl who had been running towards Draco. "Pansy!" Ginny cried out. Without a second thought, Dane transported himself in front of the girl. He wheeled around—and took the full force of the sickly green bolt of magical energy.

"Mr. Peregrino!" Neville got up from where he'd been crouched alongside Ginny and ran towards the mage. Ginny followed close behind.

Dane spoke to the girl behind him: "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she replied. "I-I'm okay..."

"That's good..." Dane felt woozy. His eyes were blurring. Through a haze, he saw Neville running towards him, calling his name. Behind him was the girl—_Ginny, that's her name, isn't it?_, he thought disjointedly.

He finally collapsed to the ground.

Madame Maxime was about to dismiss the Beauxbatons from their class when one of the senior-year students came to their room. Madame Maxime let her in and spoke with her quietly.

Felicienne recognized her from the Hogwarts infirmary; she was one of Nurse Pomfrey's other assistants. If her memory served her correctly, her name was Florence.

When the student was through speaking with her, Madame Maxime called Felicienne over. She got up from her desk and approached her teacher.

"You are to accompany Mademoiselle Barton to the infirmary," Madame Maxime told her softly. "Margot will make sure that you receive the rest of the notes from today's class."

Felicienne bowed. "_Oui,_ Madame," she said. Florence led her out of the classroom. When they were out in the hallway, Felicienne asked: "What's going on at the infirmary, Florence?"

"It's Mr. Peregrino, Felicienne," Florence told her.

Felicienne stopped. "What happened to him? Did he hurt himself?"

Florence looked her in the eye. "Nurse Pomfrey thinks you'd better see for yourself. Come on—we must hurry."

A cold ball of fear began to settle in Felicienne's stomach as she followed Florence to the infirmary.

When she got there, she saw Nurse Pomfrey, Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor MacGonagall, and Professor Snape surrounding one of the beds in the infirmary. Right away, she knew who it was.

"Dane!" she cried out and ran towards the bed. Headmaster Dumbledore stopped her.

"Mlle. de la Croix," he told her, "before you approach Mr. Peregrino, I want you to calm down. Can you do that?"

"_Oui_, I will try," Felicienne said, "but, please—what happened to Dane?"

"One of the students unintentionally used one of the Unforgivable Curses on him," the headmaster told her.

"Which one was it?"

"It was the Death Curse," Headmaster Dumbledore told her in an even tone of voice. The cold ball of fear in her belly began to grow larger.

"Wh-what? How?" she asked. "And who did it?"

"It was an accident, Ms. de la Croix," Professor MacGonagall said. "We've spoken to the student and he said it was not his intention to use the Death Curse on him. He lost his temper as a result of an altercation with Mr. Peregrino. Let us discipline him."

For what was the first time in a long while, Felicienne felt like taking her wand and doing damage to somebody. If she ever learned the identity of the culprit...

"It would do no good," Headmaster Dumbledore told her, as if he could read her thoughts. She figured that he probably could. "For now, Mr. Peregrino needs you."

"What? But I thought the Death Curse killed its victims instantly?" Felicienne asked.

"So it does," Professor MacGonagall said, "but somehow, Mr. Peregrino is hanging on by a thread."

Headmaster Dumbledore brought her to Dane's side. She looked at him and saw how pale he was. And yet...she seemed to feel his heart still beating. He was still alive—and fighting to come back. She felt a small flicker of hope in her heart.

She bent over him, taking his hand in hers. "Dane," she whispered, "Dane, I'm here. Please—can you hear me?"

Professor Snape whispered to the headmaster: "Nurse Pomfrey and I have done what we can for him, master. Now it's up to him."

"And the girl," Headmaster Dumbledore said.

Felicienne squeezed his hand. She touched his face, remembered his laughter, remembered how he protected her from the dragon.

"Dane, please—you are so much stronger than any curse. You can fight—you must fight."

She remembered a promise he made to her.

"You said you would take me to the Yule Ball, Dane. Now are you going back on your word?" Her tears fell on his chest. "Please, Dane, wake up. _Please_." She hugged his neck, drawing herself closer to him, whispering to him again and again, asking him to come back.

He didn't respond. Whatever hope she felt was slowly dying. She held him tighter, as if trying to keep death from stealing him away.

"My shoulder...hasn't healed yet...don't...hurt my neck too..." she heard someone say. She let go of him slightly.

"Dane?" she said, praying that she hadn't just imagined him speaking to her.

His hand rose from the bed once...twice...thrice. Then he spoke in a much more audible voice: "I just tapped out...let me go before you choke me out."

"Dane...you're alive?" Felicienne held his face and looked him in the eye. "You're alive?"

"Yes, _demoiselle_," Dane told her, wiping the tears from her face. "Actually, I've just been sleeping. I thought it would be more dramatic this way."

"You've been sleeping...?" She hit him in the shoulder.

"Ow! I was joking!" Dane rubbed his shoulder. "Your Gallic temper is a sight to behold." He turned towards the others in the room. "Hello, Headmaster Dumbledore."

"How are you feeling, Mr. Peregrino?" the headmaster asked.

"Like I just collided head-on with that train your students use to get here," Dane replied. "Hello, Professor Snape. I don't know what you poured down my throat but I'm not going to ask. It was awful. I'm glad it helped."

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Peregrino," Professor Snape said. "Mr. Longbottom helped me prepare it."

"Speaking of which, where are Neville and Ginny? And the other girl—" His question was interrupted by the entry of the two people he had just mentioned.

"Hello, Mr. Peregrino," Neville said. "Are you feeling better, sir?"

"I'm alive, Neville," Dane told him. "It sure beats the alternative, doesn't it?"

Neville laughed. "Yes, sir—it does."

Ginny Weasley spoke: "You took that Curse dead on, sir—"

"Ginny...have I got your name right?" Dane asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Ginny, after what I've just been through, I don't think I want to hear the word 'dead' or any other similar words for a while." He grinned at her. She laughed.

"All right, sir—but how did you survive the Curse?"

Dane thought about it and then said: "The Curse didn't touch me, Ginny."

"What?" Felicienne asked. "What do you mean it didn't touch you?" She helped him sit up and waited for him to explain.

"You know about my transport spell, right?" he asked her.

"Yes," Felicienne nodded. "I've seen you use it several times."

"When I deflected the Curse and it was heading for that girl—" He snapped his fingers, trying to recall the girl's name.

"Pansy," Ginny told him. "It was Pansy Parkinson. She's one of Draco's friends."

"He has friends?" Dane commented. Ginny shrugged. "Well, anyway," he continued, "just before the Curse's energy made contact with either me or Pansy, I opened up a door and transported most of it away. But I guess there was enough left to knock me out."

"So that's how you survived," Headmaster Dumbledore said. "Interesting defense, I must say."

"Risky is more like it," Professor MacGonagall said. "If you had been a step slower, you would be...well, I suppose I don't need to tell you what would have happened."

"I'll deal with Malfoy, master," Professor Snape said. "He should have known better than to use an Unforgivable Curse."

"Professor, wait," Dane said. When he had the potions teacher's attention, he went on: "I don't think Malfoy intended to really use that Curse on me."

"What?" Ginny's eyes widened in surprise. "Everyone who was there saw him and heard him! He deliberately used the Death Curse against you!"

"Maybe so," Dane told her. "But I saw his face. I saw his eyes."

"What do you mean?" Professor MacGonagall asked.

"When I transported myself in front of his friend, what I saw on his face and in his eyes..." He turned towards Headmaster Dumbledore. "Sir, for all that he's a bully and he's arrogant beyond belief, he't not a killer. Not like his father. The son is leagues away from that."

The headmaster looked at Dane as if to measure his words. After a long moment, he spoke to Professor Snape and Professor MacGonagall: "Come. We must discuss this matter in my office. I'm glad you're all right, Mr. Peregrino. I'll see you at supper, I suppose, if Nurse Pomfrey thinks you can manage to join us."

"I'll be there if she lets me, sir," Dane said. The headmaster and the two professors left the infirmary. Neville and Ginny followed them.

"Are you sure you're feeling better?" Felicienne asked him when they were alone.

"Much better," Dane replied. "Sorry if I had you worried, Felicienne."

"I thought I'd lost you," Felicienne confessed. "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't woken up."

"Hey, it's going to take more than a Death Curse to get rid of me," Dane said. "If I had a dollar for every time someone tried to kill me with magic—or other means—I'd be a wealthy man." He laughed. "Besides, there's a dance that's coming up and I did promise you that we'd go, right?"

"That's right," Felicienne said, smiling. She held his face with one hand. "Don't think that being subjected to the Death Curse will excuse you." She kissed him on the cheek. "Now rest. I'll be back later."

Dane squeezed her hand. "Make it quick. Between you and me, I might just break out of here."

"Hah! That's if you can get past Madame Pomfrey," Felicienne told him. "_Au revoir,_ my dear Dane."

"_Au revoir,_ my dear Felicienne," Dane told her. He watched as the young witch left the infirmary. She paused to wave at him one last time and then went out the door. Then he lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. In a few minutes, he was asleep.


	8. Dark Tidings

**DARK TIDINGS**

Dane stepped over a fallen log as he followed Hagrid and Fang into the Forbidden Forest. It was morning already but the sun couldn't seem to penetrate the canopy of branches overhead. Hagrid stopped, listened, and then waved him onward. Fang snuffled quietly ahead of him.

Dane sent out his senses and detected the presence of foxes nearby. He spoke an incantation quietly and then used their eyes and ears to augment his. A few feet away from him, Hagrid stopped and let out a low, warbling whistle. Immediately, Dane could hear something approaching.

A few moments later, there was an answering whistle and then two figures stepped out of the murk ahead. One seemed to be riding a horse while the other was on foot. Dane waited for them to come into view and it turned out that what he'd mistaken for a horse and rider was actually a centaur. With him was Professor Remus Lupin.

"Greetings, Hagrid," the centaur spoke. "I've brought Professor Lupin as Headmaster Dumbledore requested."

"Aye, that you have, Firenze," Hagrid replied. "Thank you for guiding him through the woods and for keeping him out of sight."

"You're welcome, old friend," Firenze said, bowing slightly. "Though, expectedly, the rest of the herd objected to my actions."

"We've gotten you into more trouble, have we?" Hagrid asked. Firenze shrugged but Dane spoke up: "Why would the other centaurs object to helping Headmaster Dumbledore?"

"Because the Ministry has always regarded the centaurs as less than human, Dane," Professor Lupin explained. "Therefore, they're only a step or two above being like the other beasts of this forest."

Dane was shocked but, somehow, expected such an attitude from the Ministry Of Magic. That was why he didn't inform them of his presence n England—which was, most likely, a crime. "That's stupid," he said. "Centaurs have been a part of the magical realm long before humans ever have. I've had teachers who were centaurs…although one or two of them thought I wasn't worth teaching because I was less than a centaur."

Firenze looked at him wordlessly for several long moments and then let out a hearty laugh. "So it seems you have met some of my kind!" he declared. "And I apologize if some of them needed proof of your worthiness before you became their pupil."

"I didn't mind, sir," Dane said. "At least they weren't as rough as the dragons who taught me."

"An interesting fellow you are," Firenze remarked. "Perhaps when you have the time, you might tell me of your travels…Dane, is it?"

"Yes, sir. And you've got yourself a deal." Dane held out his hand and Firenze shook it. "When I come back to Hogwarts, I'll look you up in the forest and we'll swap tales."

"That would be nice," Firenze said. "But now I must return to my herd. There are things we must discuss."

"Thank you again for your help, Firenze," Professor Lupin said, raising a hand in farewell. Hagrid did likewise and called after him: "Be seeing you again, old friend!"

"When you need me, Hagrid," Firenze said as he walked away, "you know where to find me." He leapt over another fallen tree and then silently disappeared into the mists.

"Well, lad," Professor Lupin said, clapping a hand to Dane's shoulder. "It's good to see you. I trust your shoulder is better?"

"Much better," Dane admitted. "It's good to see you again, sir."

Professor Lupin nodded and then turned to Hagrid. "I wish the circumstances were better, Hagrid, but I'm glad to see you as well."

"So do I, Remus," Hagrid agreed. "But we've our own matters to discuss, I think. Let's get back to my hut, eh?"

"I can handle that, sir," Dane said. He called Fang over and then transported them all back to Hagrid's home. The half-giant began to make a pot of tea for them. Fang took up a position near the door to keep watch. Professor Lupin sat down at Hagrid's table and waved Dane to the chair across from him.

"Any news from London, sir?" Dane asked, settling into the chair.

Professor Lupin recounted some of the events that had taken place during Dane's previous visit and narrated the consequences of their campaign to discover the truth behind the rumored alliance between Lord Voldemort and Xavier Gray. The Ministry, fortunately, thought that the battles that took place during Dane's trip to London were simply skirmishes between their Aurors and some minor dark wizards.

"It's fortunate that we prevented Duke Ripper and Urius from harming any humans permanently," Professor Lupin remarked. "If we hadn't, I hate to think what kind of a crisis the Ministry would have to deal with."

"Considering that they don't seem to be prepared for any major incidents, I'm glad too," Hagrid said, setting a pot and three cups on the table. He added a plate of biscuits before sitting down. "Imagine Cornelius Fudge having to send out Aurors to fight vampires and werewolves. It would be a disaster."

"So it would," Professor Lupin said. "But now we may have another potential disaster to deal with, Dane." He took out a roll of parchment and handed it to the young mage. Dane took the parchment, unrolled it, and began to read it wordlessly. Professor Lupin sipped his tea and waited for him to finish. Hagrid waited as well but, after several minutes, couldn't control himself.

"Well, lad?" he said. "What's on the parchment?"

Dane rolled the parchment up and handed it back to Professor Lupin. "Is this all confirmed?" he wanted to know.

"Nypmhadora Tonks undertook the gathering of intelligence herself," Professor Lupin told him. "She refused to let me or anyone else do it. Fortunately, she was able to infiltrate the other vampire and werewolf gangs in Whitechapel and obtain the information we need."

"It's a miracle she got out alive," Hagrid said. "That was a dangerous piece of work."

Professor Lupin nodded. "I could've done it easier because of my…condition, but she felt she could infiltrate both gangs much more effectively. Apparently, the vampires and werewolves don't like each other, even if they are working together."

"They rarely do, sir," Dane remarked. "But she can change into several forms so I suppose she had a point." He drank some of his tea and had a biscuit. Then he continued: "So it appears that Ludo Bagman did succeed in brokering an alliance between Gray and Voldemort."

"And apparently, Voldemort is sending one of his most trusted men to London very soon to seal the alliance," Professor Lupin said.

"And who might that be?" Hagrid asked. Professor Lupin looked at Dane. He nodded and Professor Lupin handed Hagrid the parchment. Hagrid read through it carefully until he saw the name of Voldemort's trusted associate. His eyes actually widened in surprise and he looked up, regarding both Professor Lupin and Dane with something akin to fear. Not fear of them but fear for them.

"Lucius Malfoy," Hagrid said. "This isn't good. If he's going to be in London, that means you two will be facing him one way or another."

"Looks like it," Dane said simply.

"Come off it, lad," Hagrid admonished him with uncharacteristic harshness. "Lucius Malfoy is one of the most dangerous wizards alive today. The fact that Voldemort trusts him enough to send him on something this important should be enough to make any normal wizard quake in his boots."

Dane's reply was brief: "I'm not a normal wizard, sir. And I've got nothing to lose anymore, do I?"

Hagrid tried to make a retort but failed. He knew enough of the mage's background; what he just said was the truth, brutally frank though it may have been.

"Be that as it may," Professor Lupin said, "I'll not have you embarking on a suicide mission, Dane. That will accomplish nothing. Our task will be to prevent this alliance from being completed. You know very well that the vampires and werewolves will wreak havoc throughout London if we don't stop them."

Dane finished his tea before speaking: "Well, it looks like we'll be decking the halls with vampires and werewolves instead of holly." He smiled. Somehow, that made Hagrid feel a lot better.

"Wish I could go with you two, lad," he said. "But there's a lot to do here, what with the tournament and all."

"That's all right, Hagrid," Professor Lupin said. "I'll watch over Hogwarts' guest." He smiled too and that made things lighter for the remainder of their stay.

A few hours later, Dane was alone, occupying a parapet high above the school. His mind was on London or what would be taking place in London not too far down the road. Already, he could picture just how difficult and unavoidably bloody the mission would turn out to be. Duke Ripper and Urius were both dead but their replacements—Hammerfang for the wolves and Zita Raze for the bats—were just as dangerous. Hammerfang was Ripper's protégé and rumored to be his half-brother, with a taste for spilled blood and torn flesh. His nickname was, if he remembered correctly, "Mutilator". As for Zita Raze, she was Urius' consort, from what he knew of her. Without a doubt, she would want to avenge her lord's death. She undoubtedly knew that he was responsible for Urius' death; she undoubtedly would want him to suffer the same fate—or worse.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone putting their hands over his eyes and asking: "Guess who?"

Dane smiled. There was no mistaking that musical voice. He gently removed Felicienne's hands from his eyes and kissed them both. She embraced him when he turned to face her. "Did you miss me?" she asked him.

"Of course," Dane replied. "How was class?"

"It went well," Felicienne said. "We had a small test but it was easy."

"That's good to know," Dane said. "Did Madame Pomfrey give you the morning off today?"

"_Oui_," Felicienne agreed. "She has to meet with the headmaster and the potions master about some of the supplies in the dispensary. I'm supposed to help her organize them during the afternoon break." She laughed. "According to her, she may also ask Headmaster Dumbledore to take me on as a nurse here. She says the younger students are always looking for me when I'm not around."

"That's nice," Dane remarked. "Perhaps you can specialize in healing magic when you're older."

"Perhaps," Felicienne said. "Would you like to go inside? It's cold out here."

"Oh, of course. Sorry about that." Dane transported them inside to the stairs leading down from the upper levels of the school. They had only gone down one flight when Felicienne asked: "Where were you this morning, by the way? I didn't see you at breakfast."

Dane stopped at a landing. "Felicienne…" he began, wondering how much he should tell her about his meeting with Professor Lupin. She knew about his quest and, if she so wished, could read his mind and learn about his past in its entirety but she hadn't done that. Instead, she's waited for him to open up on his own. For that, he respected her—but sometimes, he asked himself if it was right to burden another person with his own troubles.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Dane," Felicienne assured him. "I know there are some things about your quest that you can't share with others."

Dane sighed. He made his choice. "I think we'd better get somewhere private," he told her. He transported them to the lakeside where she first read his thoughts and there he told her most of what had transpired at Hagrid's home. When he was done, Felicienne was silent as she mulled over what Dane had told her. Finally, after several minutes, she spoke: "Lucius Malfoy...so it is true, then."

"What is?" Dane asked her.

"There have been rumors of his involvement with..._Him_," Felicienne told him. "Even in our school, we hear of such things. But this is the first time these rumors have been confirmed."

Dane looked at Felicienne quietly. So, it appeared Beauxbatons wasn't entirely out of the loop as far as the goings-on involving Voldemort were concerned; he suspected the same could be said of Durmstrang, especially since their headmaster, Igor Karkaroff, was a former servant of Voldemort. In a way, that comforted him since it meant that this front of the Magus Wars, at least, weren't entirely vulnerable. At the same time, however, he felt fresh fear for Felicienne. If she paid attention to such rumors, it would be inevitable that she would become involved in the Wars.

"Well, it's not as if Malfoy has been seen in London with any of Xavier Gray's men," Dane argued. "So it's not as if his allegiance to You-Know-Who has been confirmed solidly."

Felicienne looked at Dane with that semi-annoyed look that he'd begun to know so well. With an arched eyebrow and a somewhat haughty tone of voice, she countered him: "Dane, surely you can't think me so innocent that I can't see what's plainly there. I don't need a rumor to tell me what I can sense so strongly."

"No, it's not that...I just..." Dane tried to think up a retort but he couldn't. She was right. Nobody in the magical world who wasn't ignorant would be unable to pick up on the connection between Lucius Malfoy and Voldemort. He could hide it and he could claim otherwise but Malfoy the Elder was in thrall to his Dark Lord. He decided to tell her the truth: "I'd rather you didn't know about any of this, to be honest."

"Why not?" Felicienne asked, looking him straight in the eye.

"Because I'd rather that you didn't get involved in this war," Dane confessed. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Felicienne."

Again, there was silence between them. To Dane's eyes, Felicienne looked as if she was about to cry. She stood from where she sat and went over to him. Their hands met and clasped firmly.

Felicienne spoke quietly: "And I don't want you to get hurt, either, Dane. I wish you wouldn't have to fight in this war—I wish there was no war to fight at all."

"You're not the only one," Dane told her.

"Listen," she told him, touching his face gently. "I may wish that there were no war as much as I want but the truth is that there is one. It's been fought since before I was born. I can't claim to understand it fully but I do know that it has to be fought—and won. And that you have your battles to fight and win."

"I don't have to," Dane found himself saying. "I don't have to go to London—"

"No, you don't," Felicienne agreed before adding: "But you must. The ones that are fighting the Dark Lord—they need your help. You know that in your heart." And that was the truth, Dane realized. "Felicienne, I..." he tried to say but couldn't go any further. Instead, he drew her close, felt her embrace him in return. For a moment, all thoughts of the Magus Wars disappeared as the world around them narrowed down to just the two of them, standing at the lakeside, holding onto one another.

They walked back to the school together, hand-in-hand. Whatever doubt there was in both their hearts was gone. Felicienne kissed him on the cheek as she went off to attend class. Dane, in the meantime, went off to see Headmaster Dumbledore. When he entered his office, however, he knew that the old wizard already knew what he was there to tell him. A familiar-looking parchment was on his desk. Dane was taken somewhat aback by the headmaster's expression. He looked tired, almost wizened by matters that were beyond his control.

"Sir?" Dane said tentatively.

Headmaster Dumbledore looked up from the parchment. "Oh, yes, Mr. Peregrino," he said. "Sit down, please. Some tea?"

"No, thank you, sir," Dane replied. "I've already had some with Hagrid. I take it he gave you Professor Lupin's report?"

The headmaster nodded. "Yes. And it is no less disturbing for being...shall we say, unsurprising." He shifted in his chair. "This means that you'll be going to London again soon."

"I'm on standby, sir," Dane said. "But, yes—I will be going back to deal with more of the same or worse, if the report is accurate. And I'm afraid that it is."

"I fear that I must concur, Mr. Peregrino," Headmaster Dumbledore told him. "Tonks is very good at what she does. She would have sensed if she was being deceived since neither werewolves nor vampires are as adept at magic as she is." He settled back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of him. "Disturbing," he said again. "An alliance between two of the most powerful dark wizards is unthinkable."

"An alliance of convenience, no doubt," Dane remarked. "But that doesn't make it any less dangerous."

"No, it doesn't." The old wizard thought deeply for a moment and then asked: "What are your plans when you return to London?"

"From the intelligence gathered by Ms. Tonks," Dane said, "the primary objective is to stop the vampires and werewolves from wreaking havoc, especially since there's bound to be so many people out at night." He banged his fist lightly on the headmaster's table. "They couldn't have picked a better time to terrorize London—it's the holidays and I doubt if anyone will be expecting something like this."

"Not too many humans would be prepared to even consider the possibility of an attack by vampires and werewolves," Headmaster Dumbledore remarked. "Professor Lupin will be able to join you. So will Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt. I suppose you have your own allies that you can call upon?"

Dane nodded. "I have some friends coming over to help. If we can keep the bats and wolves from turning anyone, we can stop them."

"I see." The headmaster stood up and went over to his phoenix, Fawkes. Dane joined him and produced a pomegranate. The mage sliced it with his thumb and began to feed it to the phoenix.

"Interesting," the old wizard remarked. "So Fawkes likes pomegranates."

Dane shrugged. "There was this phoenix I met once who loved pomegranates. I figured Fawkes would like it." Apparently, the phoenix did because it finished the fruit. Then it let Dane scratch its head.

"You're troubled over this business in London, Mr. Peregrino?" Headmaster Dumbledore asked.

"Of course, sir," Dane answered him. "As Professor Hagrid would say, this is a dangerous piece of work."

"There's a lot at stake in this piece of work," the old wizard commented.

Dane's reply was simply: "Yes."

"Are you afraid of what might happen, Mr. Peregrino?"

For the first time in a long while, Dane had to think about that. Ordinarily, he would've answered in the negative but now...it wasn't that he doubted his abilities—he knew he'd learned much even before coming to Hogwarts. He trained under some of the greatest Magi in the world, both human and otherwise. He already fought several of Xavier Grey's most feared minions and lived, although those battles took their toll on him. There was no need for him to fear the remnants of Duke Ripper's pack and Urius' brood.

"Mr. Peregrino," Headmaster Dumbledore said, "I told you, I cannot presume to tell you when to end your quest. That is entirely your decision. But understand this: a quest undertaken even with the noblest intentions can sometimes go astray if we lose sight of the reason for it."

Dane was silent as the old wizard continued: "There are many things worth fighting for in this war. But in fighting for them, we must be careful that we do not become what we've sworn to fight against."

Dane looked at the headmaster, then at Fawkes. He remembered his words to Felicienne. _I don't have to go to London_, he'd said and her reply had been: _No, you don't…but you must._ It was too late in the game to think of leaving the field; if he didn't win this round, the rest of the game may very well go badly for those on the same side as he was.

Fawkes chirped softly. Dane produced another pomegranate and began to feed the phoenix. The headmaster left him to his own thoughts and went about his own work.

The morning passed quickly enough. Dane spent time with Felicienne but they didn't discuss his eventual departure. Instead, they socialized with the rest of the students. The mage already had a measure of popularity because of the dragon and Death Curse incidents so that was what he usually wound up discussing with the students who spoke with him. Even the normally snobbish Pansy Parkinson surprised the other Hogwarts students by giving Dane a precious fraction of the attention she usually reserved for Draco Malfoy—who, quite obviously, avoided the mage entirely. Dane wished he could speak with the boy, especially since there was a very strong possibility that he would soon be confronting his father but couldn't find the opportunity to do so.

When the time came for the students to return to their common rooms, Dane bid Felicienne good night. He went to his chamber to meditate, allowing him to rest while at the same time remaining aware of his surroundings. The entire school seemed to be cloaked in shadow. He stretched out his mind, attempting to penetrate the enveloping dark. His mind touched Mrs. Norris, who was awake and abroad. The cat stopped, as if waiting for him. He immediately transported to her location.

"Hello, Mrs. Norris," Dane greeted her, picking her up. "What are you doing up so late?"

She mewed softly and allowed him to scratch her head. He set her on the parapet beside him. She sat there, looking out at the night, as if searching for something. Dane entered her mind and saw through her eyes. There were shapes moving about in the shadows and he could feel a coldness that had nothing to do with the weather. Dimly, he wondered if Headmaster Dumbledore knew about it.

After a while, he set the cat down. "Thank you, Mrs. Norris," Dane told her. He took a treat out of his pocket and fed it to her. She rubbed her head against his fingers and then flitted away to patrol the rest of the castle. Dane decided to do the same. He walked unseen and unnoticed, picking up on the emotions of those around him…until he detected one that seemed stronger than the rest. He felt hesitation, worry—and traces of fear. Dane followed it, wondering who the source of those emotions might be.

He wound up transporting into one of the common rooms and saw that there was one other soul unable to sleep.

"Wha—? Wh-who are you?" the boy lying on the couch asked, startled as he came through a wall.

Dane held his hands up in a placatory gesture. "I mean you no harm, Mr. Potter," he said. "I thought I sensed something and so I came in here. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"You're that wizard who stopped the Horntail from going wild," Harry Potter said when he finally got his bearings.

"That was me," Dane admitted. "Was that the dragon you got for the tournament? Looks like you got off easy."

"Believe me, sir," Harry told him. "It was anything but easy."

Dane laughed. "I believe you. Call me Dane, by the way."

Harry nodded. "You can call me Harry. Please sit wherever you like, Dane."

Dane chose a chair next to the sofa. "What's keeping you awake, Harry? I thought all the students here had curfew or something like that."

"We're only supposed to be in our respective houses, sir," Harry explained. "We don't have to be asleep."

"Oh." Dane smiled a bit; it seemed that what he heard about Harry from Ginny and Neville was correct. He did have a certain tendency to skirt the rules. "And I suppose you're still trying to figure out what the next task for the tournament is going to be?"

"Well…yes, sir, there is that." Harry smiled ruefully. He looked down at the golden egg on the couch next to him. "I'm not having any luck with it, though."

"Why not?" Dane asked. "Just open it."

"I can't, sir," Harry replied. "If I do that, it's just going to make this terrible noise and wake everyone up."

"Ah. It must be some kind of code," Dane mused, "or a security device of some kind. I take it you can't accept help from an outsider?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm afraid not, sir."

Dane nodded. "Fair is fair, I suppose." He walked over to the fire and built it up a little to ward off the cold that seemed to seep in through the walls. Again, he thought about the dark outside and the shadows moving through the night. When he returned to his chair, he tossed a small packet to Harry.

"Have some," he told the boy. "It will help calm your nerves."

"What are these, Dane?" Harry asked.

"Vanilla wafers with dark chocolate filling," Dane replied. He sat down and levitated a plastic bottle at Harry. "And that's green tea. It's a bit chilled, though. But it works."

Harry thanked him and opened the packet. He took a bite of the wafers and found that they were delicious and, indeed, soothed his mind somewhat. "This is good, sir," he said. "Where did you get it?"

"London," Dane replied as he ate his wafers, washing them down with tea. "A friend of mine makes them. I'll get some more when I go there."

"You're going to London?"

Dane nodded. "Uh-huh. It's a…business trip. By the way, Harry—Professor Lupin says 'hi'. He wishes he could come over himself but you know how things are."

"Professor Lupin!" Harry cried out but Dane shushed him. In a quieter tone, he continued: "How is he? You've seen him?"

"I'm working with him," Dane told him. "We'll be doing a few things in London together with some other people that he introduced me to during my last trip. Professor Lupin is doing okay, all things considered. He found out about you being entered in the tournament and that kind of worries him."

"He's worried? How does he think I feel?" Harry managed to joke. "What's he been up to lately?"

"Making sure a certain Dark Lord hasn't taken over London yet," Dane said. "That's part of the reason I'm going back in a few days or so. Tell you what, though—I'd rather stay here and attend the Yule Ball, if I had a choice."

"The Yule Ball…" Harry's eyes took on a dreamy look. For a moment, he looked like an ordinary teenager to Dane and not some Chosen One that Fate had handed an incredibly large and unwieldy burden that sat uncomfortably on his shoulders, threatening to break his back.

"Are you going to the Ball, Harry?" Dane asked. "Someone told me that you're obligated since your school is the host of the Triwizard Tournament this year."

"I am," Harry replied softly. "I have to, I guess. Were you invited?"

Dane nodded. "Yeah, I was. Who are you going with? I asked one of the girls from Beauxbatons to go and she accepted."

"One of the girls in my class," Harry said wistfully. "Ron and I are taking them."

"Oh?" Dane smiled. "Let me guess—his sister and your friend…what's her name? Ms. Granger, am I right?"

"You mean Hermione and Ginny," Harry said. "No…Ginny is going with Neville and Hermione, well, we don't know who she's going with but she already has a date."

"Really now? Ginny and Neville are going to the Ball together?" Dane thought about it, remembering how Ginny defended Neville during their confrontation with Draco Malfoy. "There's a certain symmetry to that, I guess. So who are you and Ron going with?"

"Parvati and Padme Patil," Harry replied. Again, there was a wistful note to his voice and Dane realized that there was somebody else he was hoping to ask to the Ball. Unfortunately, it seemed he was unsuccessful in doing so. He found himself unable to suppress a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked, a bit more sharply than he perhaps intended.

"Sorry," Dane replied. "Harry, let me tell you that you have no idea how much I wish that heartaches and heartbreak were the only things that you or I or anyone else in this world have to worry about." He shook his head. "Being some long-prophesied hero isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it?"

Harry cracked a smile at Dane's question. "No, it isn't. I wish I didn't have to be a hero. I don't want eternal fame or glory. I just want to be…me."

"Not even a blue suit and a red cape is a reward when you have to give your life up for it," Dane joked.

"Pardon me?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Never mind," Dane said. "I'll explain it next time." He stood up. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, Harry. I hope we can spend some more time when I return from London." He held out his hand; Harry stood up and shook it. "Before I go, think about something for me on your way to bed, would you?"

"What is it, Dane?" Harry wanted to know.

"Being a hero is a task, Harry—a job, really," Dane told him. "But it's not another person. You are you, no matter what role Fate may have given you."

Harry thought about that and then said: "I'll remember that, sir."

"Besides, Harry—like the song says, you've got the touch," Dane added with a smile. "And I have a feeling you're going to be a light in this school's darkest hour."

"I hope so, Dane," Harry said. Thankfully, he didn't ask Dane what song he was referring to. The mage took his leave and went back to walking the halls until he decided to return to his chamber to rest.


End file.
